


Starting Simple

by DragonBread



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: First Dates, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-13
Updated: 2016-09-13
Packaged: 2018-08-14 19:33:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8026189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonBread/pseuds/DragonBread
Summary: Alec knocks on the door to Magnus’s apartment. His hand shakes a little as he lowers it, and he grasps the bouquet he’s holding tighter in the hopes it will steady him. Alec and Magnus have their first date





	Starting Simple

Alec knocks on the door to Magnus's apartment. His hand shakes a little as he lowers it, and he grasps the bouquet he's holding tighter in the hopes it will steady him.

It's taken them nearly a week to find a chance to have this date. They put off even thinking about it in the wake of Jace's disappearance, and then when he finally ( _finally_ ) came home, there was so much going on...Alec's honestly shocked they found a chance to have time to themselves so soon. 

But here he is. Standing in front of Magnus's door, clutching a bouquet of roses as if he'll shake apart if he lets go of them. Because he's on a date. His _first_ date. With Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn. Alec's pretty sure this is a dream, or he's accidentally stumbled into some friendlier alternate dimension, or Magnus is going to open the door and suddenly come to his senses and see that there's no way someone like _him_ should be dating someone like _Alec_.

Before he can stumble too far down that path of self-doubt, the door opens. Magnus is already smiling, but his whole face lights up when he sees the roses, and Alec feels something in his chest loosen.

“For me?” Magnus asks.

Alec nods, and holds out the flowers. “I know we aren't going out, but. It's still a date, so. I just thought—”

Magnus smiles wider. “Thank you. I love roses.” 

Their fingers brush as Magnus takes the bouquet, and Alec feels a spark of _something_ shoot up his arm. He doesn't think it was actually magic, but given Magnus, that's hard to say. 

He follows Magnus into the loft. The table is already set, with a candle burning in the middle. The flickering light makes the room look softer, smaller, more intimate, and Alec swallows. He shouldn't be so nervous. Yes, it's Magnus, but it's _Magnus_. Magnus who has made it very clear that he likes Alec quite a bit and who has gone out of his way to make all of this easier. Magnus who Alec _made out with_ just over a month ago. Really, they've gotten past the scary part. This should be easy. But Alec's hands are still shaking as he hangs up his jacket, and he has to swallow again to get his voice to work. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Magnus's smile widens again. “There's a bottle of wine on the table. Pour us each a glass while I find a vase for these?”

Alec nods, grateful to have something to do with his hands, and goes to pour the wine. Magnus disappears into the kitchen for a minute, and Alec takes a second to take in the wonderful smell of cooking food. They'd decided, with the way things had been going lately, that the easiest thing would be to just have a nice meal at the loft and spend some time together. Alec's really been looking forward to it, to having a chance to just relax somewhere he already feels safe. Too bad he can't get his brain to shut off long enough to _actually relax_. He sits down and takes a sip of wine, hoping that will steady him.

Magnus comes back in and sits across from him, takes a sip from his own glass. “Dinner should be ready in a few minutes.”

Alec nods. “It smells amazing.”

Magnus smiles at him, and Alec smiles back. Magnus looks amazing, of course, and there's something about the candlelight and the roses and the fact that they're alone for the first time in a long time that makes Alec start to lean towards him, just a little. The way they're sitting, he wouldn't even have to get up to kiss him, and suddenly that's all Alec can think about needing to do—he leans forwards a little more, and Magnus leans toward him…

A door creaks open loudly, and Alec and Magnus both jump, glancing toward the sound. They should be alone, and yet the unmistakable sound of footsteps can be heard coming down the hall. Alec has one hand on his seraph blade and Magnus's hands are blue with magic as the figure comes around the corner.

They both relax as they realize it's just Luke. “Hey guys,” Luke says. “Don't let me interrupt anything. Just wanted to remind you that I'm a main character.”

Alec smiles and shakes his head. “Damn right you are. Want to join us for dinner?”

“There's plenty,” Magnus adds.

Luke smiles and shakes his head, already walking towards the door. “No, you two have a nice evening. I'm on my way to have dinner with Jocelyn anyway.”

“Ooh, enjoy,” Magnus says teasingly. “Don't do anything I wouldn't do.”

Luke laughs and heads out, and Magnus goes to the kitchen to grab their dinner. Alec feels a lot more relaxed now, like the tension has finally broken.

“I'm so glad we managed to include Luke, at least a little,” Magnus says as he serves the food.

“I know,” Alec says. “It's sad that he has as much of a role in this story as either of us and yet he always gets shoved aside so weird straight girls can think about us fucking.”

Magnus laughs. “God, I know. And then some of them like to imagine you sleeping with girls even though you're gay.”

“Completely, one hundred percent not interested in women,” Alec agrees, and then rolls his eyes. “But of course they don't do that to you, even though you are actually bi.”

“I _know_.” Magnus chuckles. “Gotta love that racism.”

“It's such bullshit,” Alec agrees. “This food is amazing, by the way.”

“Thank you,” Magnus says. “I got the recipe from a little old lady in Italy almost two hundred years ago.”

Alec laughs, and they eat their dinner. All in all, it's a wonderful date.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading :) Find me on [tumblr!](http://freewheelingbyesexual.tumblr.com)


End file.
